The new tyre will gradually replace its successful predecessors, the ContiPremiumContact 5 and ContiSportContact 5, both of which were high-selling models in the original equipment and replacement markets.
“With the new PremiumContact 6 we were out to bridge the gap between a sedan tyre with high ride comfort and a tyre for sporty cars,” Catarina Silva, Product Manager for the EMEA Region at Continental said.
“So we’ve combined the breadth of experience distilled from 145 years of tyre development with the comprehensive knowledge of driver assistance systems of our Automotive Group to meet the high expectations of our customers.”
In the new PremiumContact 6, the German tyre manufacturer has set out to fulfil the requirements of ride quality, precise steering response, maximum safety and environmental properties in a single product.
Continental’s tyre development engineers have come up with new compounds, an innovative tread pattern that borrows from Continental’s high-tech SportContact 6 tyres, and a supple tyre geometry that offers high ride quality.
The outcome is a product that, according to Continental delivers improvements of up to 15 per cent in handling performance, rolling resistance, mileage and ride quality compared to its predecessor.
According to Silva, the target market of the PremiumContact 6 is “passenger and light truck tyres with a strong focus on safety, optimised handling and high ride quality – for mid-range models and above.”
Around 70 sizes of the new PremiumContact 6 will be available in time for the start of the European 2017 summer tyre season.
“With rim diameters from 16 to 21 inches we can cover much of the demand from car drivers, while in terms of width, we’re starting with a 195mm tyre, and going all the way to 275mm. Aspect ratios will be from 65 to 40 per cent, again covering much of the market, while speed approvals go as high as 300 km/h,” said Silva.
“Along with our engagement as a partner to the Global NCAP’s Stop the Crash campaign, with the new PremiumContact 6 we are demonstrating our commitment to attaining the ideal balance between safety, comfort and sustainability at the highest level,” concluded Silva.
